Let's play cards! In a fantasy world of swords and magic

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! You actually set a B-grade Mirror Force? You've got some nerve, Luka."

This time, it was You Ling rubbing his not-so-fleshy butt.

Aisha: "(°Д°) Don't mess around… never mind, go ahead."

Having long heard of the infamous "heavy trap" strategy, this was the first time You Ling had actually taken a hit from [Mirror Force] in a duel.

The feeling was truly unpleasant, even worse than landing on Aisha's butt.

"Consider it a fair exchange. You trapped me once, so it's only natural I trap you back. All's fair in love and war, Aisha."

"True, who hasn't been trapped once or twice in a duel?"

You Ling quickly adjusted his mindset.

Fortunately, the only monster he had in attack position was [King's Knight], while [Star Grail Priestess] remained in defense position and wasn't destroyed. Taking a hit from Mirror Force wasn't a devastating loss.

With the 2100 ATK Priestess blocking a 900 ATK angel, it was more than enough.

"I'll set one card and end my turn."

"My turn, draw!"

Drawing the card to start her turn, Luka's sapphire-blue eyes narrowed into two beautiful crescents.

"Don't tell me you think your Priestess can easily block my Rose Angel, Aisha?"

Aisha: "o(ﾟДﾟ)っ! Mr. You Ling, she-she-she can read minds!"

What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing.

"But she can't block it, you know."

With a gentle flick of her fair fingers, Luka activated the effect of the Rose Angel in the sky, which had already lost one of its red wings.

"During the preparation phase of my turn, [Frigid Angel Queen of Roses] can activate its effect, destroying the monster on the field with the lowest ATK!"

Despite being crippled, with only 900 ATK left, the Rose Angel still spread its wings with all its might, stirring up a crimson rose storm.

"Destroy the [Star Grail Priestess] with 0 ATK!—『Thorn Hurricane』!"

The destruction effect bypassed the difference in attack and defense, causing the Priestess, caught in the hurricane, to be scratched with countless bloody marks before being destroyed.

[Star Grail Priestess] destroyed.

With the defensive monster gone, You Ling immediately found himself in a vulnerable position.

In a practical test with only 2000 life points, being left with no monsters on the field was extremely dangerous.

"Then it's time to end this duel. I'll leave it to you, the other me~"

Ding-ling——!

The clear sound of wind chimes clinking—this time, You Ling could swear on Aisha's life that he hadn't misheard.

The sound of the Millennium Ring was coming from the girl before him, Luka Slint.

Though it was unclear where she had hidden the Millennium Ring, after hearing it three times, You Ling was absolutely certain of his target.

"Stepping into the darkness, huh? No problem, then I'll deliver the finishing blow."

Still Luka's appearance, still Luka's voice, but to You Ling, it felt like a completely different person.

Aisha: "Mr. You Ling, Luka!"

"Yeah, a soul swap."

However, judging by the expressions of the surrounding students, it seemed only You Ling and Aisha had noticed the change in Luka just now.

That made sense. After all, even after swapping souls with Aisha so many times, they hadn't been exposed.

You couldn't expect the students of Fusion Academy to keenly notice the change in demeanor of a transfer student they had just met.

This kind of soul-switching phenomenon might only be clearly discernible to the holders of the Millennium Items.

Drawing a card from her hand, Luka flipped it to reveal its face.

The cute girl's smile, unlike her usual sunny demeanor, carried a hint of chill.

"I activate the effect of the monster card [Dark Angel Rose Sorceress] from my hand!"

"Dark Angel?"

If the [Frigid Angel Queen of Roses] depicted a sacred form of a crimson rose queen, then this [Dark Angel Rose Sorceress] represented the fallen, evil form of a rose sorceress.

"The effect of [Dark Angel Rose Sorceress] allows it to swap with [Frigid Angel Queen of Roses] on the field!"

The white and black angels intertwined, and at a glance, it even seemed to mirror the black-and-white stockings Luka had specifically worn today.

[Dark Angel Rose Sorceress ★★★★★★★ (7 stars) Earth]

[Plant-Type/Effect ATK: 2400 DEF: 1300]

[Can be swapped with a "Frigid Angel" on the field (the "Frigid Angel" returns to the hand, and this card is Special Summoned from the hand).]

With the same level and attributes as the Frigid Angel, the black-winged Dark Angel stepped onto the battlefield, her snow-white long legs alternately stepping into the fray.

"So that's how it is. Angels that can switch between light and dark. I was really fooled during the earlier summon."

You Ling had initially thought that Luka's pure and noble personality was what allowed her to summon a monster like [Frigid Angel Queen of Roses].

But now, combined with [Dark Angel Rose Sorceress], the two-in-one black-and-white angels perfectly embodied the hidden darkness beneath Luka's pure appearance.

"After the swap, [Dark Angel Rose Sorceress]'s ATK has been restored to its original 2400, and you have no monsters on the field. Direct attack!"

The decisive strike after the black-and-white swap allowed Luka to seize victory. The Dark Angel's black rose storm surged toward the defenseless You Ling.

"When you declare a direct attack, I activate the Trap Card [Negate Attack]!"

A C-grade spell trap, limited to activating only when facing a direct attack, its strength was clearly inferior compared to the game-changing Mirror Force.

However, [Negate Attack] had its own unique advantage: "drawing a card" and "summoning."

[Negate Attack Trap Card Effect: When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can activate this card. Negate that attack, then draw 1 card from your deck. If the drawn card is a monster, you can Normal Summon it in face-up attack position.]

A dimensional barrier appeared before You Ling, blocking the deadly storm of black roses.

"According to the effect of [Negate Attack], after blocking the attack, I draw 1 card from my deck. If it's a monster, I can summon it!"

His fingers brushed over the Spirit Eye's deck, and an emergency card was drawn. Aisha's emerald eyes scanned the card's face.

"I Normal Summon in attack position—[Kuriboh]!"

[Kuriboh ★ Dark]

[Fiend-Type/Effect ATK: 300 DEF: 200]

"Kuriboh, kuriboh!"

Summoning the latest monster card to the field, the fiercely cute Kuriboh materialized on Aisha's side.